Washington Asbestos & Mesothelioma Lawyers
Washington is home to numerous industries that utilized asbestos in their day-to-day operations, exposing untold numbers of workers to the hazardous material. From our office in downtown Seattle, Bergman Oslund Udo Little helps Washington residents harmed by exposure to asbestos seek justice against the companies responsible for their injuries.
Washington Asbestos & Mesothelioma Lawyers
Washington is home to numerous industries that utilized asbestos in their day-to-day operations, exposing untold numbers of workers to the hazardous material. From our office in downtown Seattle, Bergman Oslund Udo Little helps Washington residents harmed by exposure to asbestos seek justice against the companies responsible for their injuries.
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Compensation Options for Washington Asbestos Victims
How Long Do I Have To File a Claim in Washington?
Our Washington Mesothelioma Attorneys
Washington Asbestos Exposure Sites
Washington Jobs at Risk of Asbestos Exposure
Schedule Your Free Consultation with a Trusted Washington Mesothelioma Lawyer Today.
There are many locations in various cities across Washington state that are known to be contaminated with asbestos, such as Seattle, Bellingham, Olympia, Centralia, Skagit, Spokane, Tacoma, Everett, Bellevue, Wenatchee, and Bremerton. King County, Pierce County, and Kitsap County have some of the highest annual rates of mesothelioma diagnosis.
Asbestos exposure can lead to mesothelioma, a deadly cancer affecting workers and residents throughout Washington. Many of those suffering from mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases also face the burden of overwhelming medical bills.
Our dedicated asbestos lawyers at our Seattle law office can help you fight for the compensation you deserve if you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos. Our experienced legal team has given our clients the voice they need to secure millions in settlements and verdicts.
Why Choose Us?
Since we opened our doors in 1995, we have been winning cases on behalf of our clients. We offer personalized representation and let clients and their families focus on getting the care they need while we pursue justice on their behalf. We pride ourselves on getting the best outcomes for our clients and their families. These court verdicts and settlements allow our clients to pay their medical bills, get the best care possible, and know their families will be cared for after they are gone.
Our team has worked on hundreds of cases representing the spectrum of asbestos-exposure circumstances. Our clients came to us with various work histories and health effects from asbestos exposure. Such as:
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Melanie Tamim
Candace Smith
Aileen Wedvik
Bryan Page
Chad Morgan
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Compensation Options for Washington Asbestos Victims
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it’s important to understand the legal options for seeking compensation. In most cases, those diagnosed pursue compensation through mesothelioma lawsuits, asbestos trust fund claims, or VA mesothelioma claims. Learn about the different legal options below.
Mesothelioma Lawsuits
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is your legal right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the company or entity responsible for exposing you to asbestos. A successful lawsuit can provide compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
In situations where a family member has passed away due to mesothelioma, you may file a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible party. This claim can cover medical bills, funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and other related damages.
Asbestos Trust Funds
Over the years, several companies responsible for exposing people to asbestos have declared bankruptcy. However, these companies were required to establish trust funds as part of their bankruptcy reorganization to compensate future victims.
By filing a claim against an asbestos trust fund, victims or their families can receive compensation without going through a lengthy court trial. Each trust has its own guidelines and payment schedules. While it may offer faster compensation than a lawsuit, the amount of compensation might be lower than what could be obtained in court.
VA Mesothelioma Claims
Military veterans, especially U.S. Navy veterans, were often exposed to asbestos during their service. The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma as a service-connected condition if the exposure occurred during military service.
- Benefits: Veterans can file a claim for disability compensation, and if they pass away due to the disease, their families might be eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
- Health Care: The VA offers specialized health care services for veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma. This includes treatments at VA health care facilities and potential access to clinical trials.
Mesothelioma can cause severe health issues, and although compensation cannot reverse its effects, it can help ease the financial burden and bring a sense of justice to you and your family.
Our Washington mesothelioma lawyers have decades of experience with all legal avenues for recovering compensation due to illness caused by asbestos exposure. We can guide you through the process and help you choose the best course of action.
How Long Do I Have To File a Claim in Washington?
In Washington state, for mesothelioma or asbestos-related claims, the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit starts from the date of diagnosis.
- Personal Injury Claims: From the date of diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease, victims typically have three years to file a lawsuit
- Wrongful Death Claims: If a person dies from an asbestos-related disease, their loved ones or the estate generally have three years to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Always consult a local Washington asbestos attorney to get the most accurate and up-to-date information about your situation.
Our Washington Mesothelioma Attorneys
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Washington Asbestos Exposure Sites
Many of our clients were exposed to asbestos at job sites throughout Washington. That’s because the specific industries that thrive in Washington put workers at a high risk of asbestos exposure. Countless workers at industrial sites, building sites, and military installations have experienced asbestos exposure that caused mesothelioma. The most common places for asbestos exposure in Washington include:
Many of our clients are Navy veterans who have been exposed to asbestos onboard ships or at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. We also see a lot of asbestos exposures at other shipyards including Lockheed, Todd, and Lake Union. Other common sites for asbestos exposure include Washington’s many refineries, pulp and paper mills, and power plants.
Vanessa Firnhaber Oslund – Partner, Bergman Oslund Udo Little, PLLC
Shipyards: Hazardous workplaces like Bremerton’s Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Seattle’s Todd Pacific Shipyards exposed workers to asbestos.
Power Plants: The Hanford Nuclear Site in Benton County is known to contain asbestos.
Paper Mills: Companies like Weyerhaeuser, Georgia-Pacific, and International Paper used asbestos insulation in their paper mills, leading to workers’ asbestos-related diseases.
Waterways: The EPA monitors Swift Creek and the Sumas River in Whatcom County for asbestos residue from Asbestos-Talc Products of Washington’s quarry.
Other Work Sites in Washington with asbestos exposure include:
- Airport and airline hangars
- Railyards
- Foundries
- Oil Refineries
- Sand and gravel producers
- Hospitals
- Hotels
- Office buildings
- Breweries
- Post office facilities
- Warehouses and grocery distribution centers
Washington Jobs at Risk of Asbestos Exposure
While asbestos exposure can happen anywhere in Washington, most people who end up developing mesothelioma are exposed in the workplace. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an estimated 27 million workers in the U.S. were exposed to aerosolized asbestos fibers between 1940 and 1979.
Some occupations put workers at higher risk of mesothelioma due to increased exposure to asbestos found in certain job sites or materials. Those who work in professions with a high risk of asbestos exposure are at a greater risk of developing mesothelioma. Jobs in Washington that are the most at risk for exposure include:
- Construction Workers
- Shipyard Workers
- Miners
- Factory Workers
- Power Plant Workers
- Automotive Mechanics
- Insulators
- Pipefitters and Plumbers
- Electricians
- Boilermakers
- Railroad Workers
- Firefighters
- Military Personnel
- Aircraft Mechanics
- Roofers
- Metal Workers
It’s important to note that although some regulations have since been put to restrict the use of asbestos workers from these industries are still being diagnosed today due to the long latency period of the disease.
If you worked in an industry or at a job site in Washington known as a source of asbestos exposure, we can help. Contact our Washington asbestos lawyers today for a free consultation.
Schedule Your Free Consultation with a Trusted Washington Mesothelioma Lawyer Today.
As a leading Washington-based mesothelioma and asbestos exposure law firm, Bergman Oslund Udo Little boasts an impressive track record with extensive experience in challenging cases, from jury trials to appeals.
Deeply rooted in the Pacific Northwest, our attorneys are well-acquainted with major asbestos risk sites, backed by our comprehensive database of known asbestos exposure sites in Washington. We passionately represent veterans and locals alike in understanding their unique challenges. Call us today at 206-957-9510 for a free, no-obligation case review to embark on your journey towards justice.
